Patch Me Up
by Queen Sunshadow
Summary: Keith has cancer. Ellis needs money for his treatment. How is this man in a white suit going to help him? And what's a 'pimp? -Nick/Ellis- -AU-
1. No Longer Invincible

**'Patch Me Up'**

**A Left 4 Dead 2 Fanfic**

**Summary:** Keith has cancer. Ellis needs money for his treatment. How is this man in a white suit going to help him? And what's a 'pimp'? -Nick/Ellis- -AU-

**Warnings: **Somewhat 'cracky,' Alternate Universe (no zombies, sorry guys), man on man relations aka yaoi, slash, gayness, POSSIBLE CHARACTER DEATH, brief mentions of OCs

**Disclaimer:** Left 4 Dead 2 does not belong to me. I'm not making money off this crappy story**.**

**Author's Note:** Well, first off, I love this game. Secondly, I love me some Nick x Ellis. It's like.. mm, tasty. So this randomly came to mind when I was looking at Nick's suit and I thought, 'wow, he looks like a pimp.' And thus, this monster was born. There's mention of an OC, but she's not important really. Honestly she makes me laugh and just shows how much I appreciate stereotypes. XD I'm gonna be honest, I don't really like Keith.. Ellis should be talking about all the stuff he COULD be doing with Nick. ;] But Keith is important to Ellis so naturally he has to be in here. Doesn't mean I can't abuse him teehee.

Anyways, enjoy~ I have the second chapter basically done, just need to type it up.

* * *

Ellis never really thought he'd ever feel 'out of place' somewhere, what with his personality and all. But as soon as he entered the city, the honest to god city, he felt like he stuck out like a sore thumb. He didn't hate much, but he decided that he hated the city, hated the noise, the rude people as they shoved past him on the sidewalks, the smelly buses and huge buildings. All in all, it wasn't a very nice place to be.

So why was he there?

For friend, of course. A couple months back his best friend, a young man by the name of Keith, had moved up North into the city, claiming that it had more opportunities than the South did education wise. Ellis had always assumed that he and Keith would skip out on college and do what they both loved best: fixing cars. But one day Keith had surprised him saying that he didn't want to be a mechanic.

Ellis had made sure it wasn't April 1st before staring dumbly at the slightly taller male, waiting for him to explain.

And explain he did.

He told Ellis that he'd thought a lot about it and he wanted to do something more 'meaningful' with his life. The time for goofing off was over; he had to get serious, and Ellis should do the same. Naturally a fight had broken out between them, and for the past two months the pair of them hadn't spoken one word, though Ellis' hand had hovered over his phone many times.

Then, he got a phone call.

It wasn't Keith though, it was his new girlfriend, (Jenny or something?) telling him he had to come up North real quick because Keith was sick. Sick with cancer. Ellis couldn't really believe it at first because this was Keith! Keith was invincible! Keith had been burned all over his body _twice_, fallen down that manhole, dodged a rollercoaster.. There was no way he could have cancer!

But he did, and it turned out the pair of them were knee-deep in debt due to the expenses of college, which Keith had been failing anyways. Ellis wanted to say 'I told you so,' but this was serious, and he wasn't entirely sure what to do. At first he'd panicked, running around like a chicken with it's damn head chopped off and crying to his Ma because he'd wasted all those months being mad over something silly.

Well a well placed slap from his Mama had put his brain back in his head, and he'd packed up all the essentials, getting ready for his biggest adventure with Keith to date. He'd been sure when he decided one day to leave that his mother, the woman who'd birthed and raised him, wouldn't want to let him go. But no, she was practically shooing him out the door, saying something about spending some time with his Daddy and 'rekindling' their marriage.

Ellis had no idea what _that_ meant, but he figured she was just so sad to see him go that she wanted it done quick, like tearing off a band-aid. So he left, rode with his father to the main airport in Savannah and took off a few hours later, on his way to New York City.

He should've known things were going to be bad with how the flight went. Ellis had never been on a plane before in his life, and got confused trying to find his seat. He figured he could sit anywhere he liked in that row of three, and naturally picked the window seat, so as to see everything that was going on outside. But in all actuality he had the seat nearest to the aisle, and got kicked out by the actual owner of the window seat, who from that point on disliked him.

Needless to say, being close to the aisle wasn't a good thing, and his elbow was continuously bumped by the flight attendant's drink cart as she went back and forth, offering beverages. And the man who sat beside him was sizeable, taking up the actual _good_ armrest and part of Ellis' personal bubble. The fact that he smelled a bit like horse manure didn't exactly make Ellis feel better either, even though he loved horses.

It was weird when the scent came from an adult human male.

Ellis was chomping at the bit to get off the plane as soon as it touched the ground, finally grateful for his seat, and flew outta there like his ass was on fire. Luckily he didn't have to worry about getting a cab or anything because Keith's girlfriend (her name was indeed Jenny) picked him up at the airport, and proceeded to tell him every little thing that had happened in the past two months.

It seemed that Keith had missed Ellis just as much as he'd missed him!

"All he ever does is talk about you! 'Me n' Ellis did this' or 'Did I tell ya about this one time when Ellis' that. Honestly I tried to get him to call you because I was just sick of hearing about everything you two have done together, but he wouldn't have it. That man is so stubborn.. But, thank you.. so much for coming out here. It means a lot to me." Jenny offered him a sunny smile, causing Ellis to stare at her perfectly whitened teeth rather than really taking in what she was saying.

"Oh! Uh.. shucks, it ain't nothin' Jenny, really. Keith's my best buddy in the world! I'd do anythin' fer him." He managed to tear his eyes away from her teeth as she turned back to the road, and instead focused on how clean and well cared for her hands were. Jenny was a true New Yorker, and it showed in her extravagant, designer clothing, as well as her sleek black Jaguar that'd she'd picked Ellis up in. Ellis's appreciation for cars had him drooling over the vehicle, loving the way the leather smelled and the engine purred.

"That's great Ellis! It really is. Listen um.. There's something I didn't tell you over the phone, another reason why I wanted you to come.." The fake blonde nibbled on a glossed lip before running one hand through her straightened hair, letting out a sigh, "I love Keith, I really do but.. Now with this cancer thing, I don't think I can handle.. being with him, you know? It's just so hard! I'm watching him waste away right before my eyes. So I figured if … if you came here, I could leave him and it wouldn't hurt him as much.

"I've got it all planned out! I'm leaving you our apartment, and I'm going to move to L.A. because I got offered a job there as a model! Can you believe that? I feel like that's a sign for me, a sign that I need to move on without Keith. Our relationship was fun while it lasted but he's just not what I'm looking for. And now with this.. It's like it's meant to end. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

No. No, he didn't understand. He didn't understand _at all_.

Ellis was a firm believer in 'true love' and a hardcore romantic, though he liked to hide it. He believed there was someone out there for everyone, and if you loved someone, truly loved them , you'd stick by them no matter what. What Jenny was saying sickened him deeply, and he had to hold his tongue to keep from cussing her out, his hands clenching into solid fists on his overalls. She didn't seem fazed by his silence, prattling on and on about her job offer and how it was going to change her life.

How had Keith ended up with this woman? She clearly didn't give a damn about anyone but herself! Sure, she was attractive; slim, big breasts, nice legs and all that jazz, but her personality! Was everyone like this up North? He hoped not. He had thought the plan ride up was bad, but this took the cake for the worst experience ever. For once in his life, Ellis was speechless.

* * *

**Author's Note:** It's short. Buuut the next chapter is longer and we get to meet Keith! And no, I'm not going to specify what kind of cancer Keith has. :|


	2. Feelin' Ill

**'Patch Me Up'**

**A Left 4 Dead 2 Fanfic**

**Summary:** Keith has cancer. Ellis needs money for his treatment. How is this man in a white suit going to help him? And what's a 'pimp'? -Nick/Ellis- -AU-

**Warnings: **Somewhat 'cracky,' Alternate Universe (no zombies, sorry guys), man on man relations aka yaoi, slash, gayness, POSSIBLE CHARACTER DEATH, brief mentions of OCs

**Disclaimer:** Left 4 Dead 2 does not belong to me. I'm not making money off this crappy story**.**

**Author's Note:** Chapter twooo! Okay, so it's not much longer than chapter one. /fail I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BECAUSE IT TOOK UP LIKE 3 SHEETS OF BLANK PAPER WHEN I WROTE IT OUT BY HAND. and I wrote small. Hm, well whatever. We meet Keith now~ And I love writing Southern accents. Butchering the English language is fun!

* * *

When the Jaguar pulled up in front of a decent sized apartment building, about 4 stories tall to be exact, in a good looking neighborhood, Ellis felt some surprise. He'd thought that they'd head straight to the hospital so he could see Keith, but Jenny said she figured Ellis would want to drop his stuff off before they went.

For a second he thought she was actually being considerate, being more than just a selfish bitch, but then when they got inside the apartment she claimed she needed to re-straighten her hair. So much for that. Ellis let out a sigh and then trudged down the long hallway to the third door on the left, which Jenny claimed was the guest bedroom.

It was nice, he supposed, but simple, with white walls and a generic gray carpet. A small wooden dresser lay against the right wall, a cheap looking lame perched in the middle of it. The bed was only twin sized, covered with a floral comforter and some throw pillows. A few fancy pieces of artwork made the blank walls a little less bland and made up for the lack of windows in the room.

Ellis set his long bag on the bed, letting out another soft sigh as he pulled off his hat to scratch wearily at his head. He figured he might as well change his clothes, or at least his shirt, after such a long flight. So he pulled off his plain red shirt, revealing a tanned, well-muscled torso before pulling on his classic 'Bull-Shifters' t-shirt on. It was Keith's favorite and a 'good luck charm' for him. Whenever Ellis wore that shirt and Keith had some sort of terrible injury, he always made it through.

Ellis could only hope that it would work now.

* * *

The ride to the hospital was just as awkward, with Jenny chatting with a friend on her cell phone, leaving Ellis to listen to her talk about some 'cute guy' she'd met at a bar the previous night. It took all of his will power not to grab the damn thing and toss it out the window, then yell his ass off. He wondered if Keith even knew his girlfriend was going to leave him… Probably not. Ellis was sure his best friend would call him if something that awful happened. Then again, he hadn't told Ellis when he first started dating Jenny, or that he had cancer. And that was even worse than some hot girl breaking up with him.

The hospital was huge, bigger than any hospital Ellis had ever see back in Savannah, yet Jenny seemed to know exactly where to go, still on her cell phone as she led him onto the elevator. Now Ellis was starting to get nervous. What if Keith didn't want to see him? What if he _hated_ him? All because of some dumb fight?

He jumped a bit as the elevator let out a 'ding,' earning a strange look, complete with a raised eyebrow, from Jenny. However, she didn't say anything about it, simply exited the elevator and walked down a brightly lit hallway with numerous doors on either side of it. They stopped at room 641, Jenny motioning for Ellis to open the door as she said her good-byes on the cell phone.

Hesitantly he reached for the doorknob, wincing at the coldness of it on his sweaty palms. The last time he was this nervous he'd gotten sick, and puked on a nurse's chest. Yep, and that had been because Keith was in the hospital with burns that covered ninety percent of his body. But that had turned out alright; this probably wouldn't. Jenny clearing her throat woke him from his stupor, and he cautiously opened the door, stepping inside the sterile room.

A soft, steady beeping sound reached his ears, his green eyes darting everywhere but the bed he knew his best friend was in. The first thing he noticed was the amazing view the room had overlooking the city. The second ting was not so good; Keith's bedside table was completely bare, with no cards or flowers to speak of. Wouldn't his parents have sent their dy- sick son something to cheer him up? To show that they cared? Ellis regretted not picking up some sort of cheesy card when he was at the airport for an extra hour waiting for his flight.

"Ellis?" A low, confused voice reached his ears, the familiarity of the Southern drawl making his heart ache. Slowly his eyes moved to the hospital bed, green meeting hazel for the first time in months. Keith.. well he didn't look like Keith. His face was skinnier than Ellis remembered, eyes sunken in and shrouded in darkness, probably from lack of sleep. His skin looked unhealthy, sallow and pale, with a thin sheen of sweat covering it. And his hair, his curly dirty blonde hair, was gone.

Ellis wanted to cry at the pathetic-ness of it all. Seeing his friend reduced to this.. shell of his normal self tore at his heart strings. His horror must've shown on his face because Keith let out a hars laugh that ended in a hacking cough.

"Bet I don't look too good right 'bout now, huh? Not feelin' good neither. But I'm.. glad t' see you. Didn't think you'd find out until it was too late." Ellis wanted to swallow, but his mouth was dry and a lump seemed to be lodged in his throat.

"Woulda come sooner if you'd called earlier. Or even called at all." He managed to force out, a bit of anger creeping into his choked voice, "Had t' hear it from some woman I ain't even met afore! Dammit Keith, you were jus' gonna let yerself die without even call' me, weren't ya? Man, I thought we were friends."

"We are friends Ellis. An' I jus'.. I jus' didn't want ya t' see me like this. All weak n' tired n' shit. Can't even get out of bed no more." Keith was smiling, but his eyes were hollow, voice bitter, "I'm sorry we got into that fight, sorry I even came here. You was right, ain't nothin' here for a useless Southern boy. College.. thought it'd be easy! Jus' learn stuff, take tests.. Naw, it was harder n' that.. Don't matter if yer a good person or nothin'. Ya fail an' yer gone. Now I'm too sick t' work, ain't got no money.. Can't pay for this chemo shit. An' I can't put all that on Jenny! Man Ellis, there ain't another girl like her. She been here fer me since the beginnin' of all this! Don't know what I'd do without her."

The sick feeling in Ellis' stomach grew even more. He glanced at the door, expecting to see Jenny lurking there, only to see that she was gone. Hurriedly he ran to look out into the hallway, but the blonde wasn't their either! Oh shit.. Had she just left him here? How was he going to explain all this to Keith? And how would he get back to the apartment? Keith's sunken eyes watched Ellis closely as he walked to the bed, sinking into the chair beside it.

"Keith.. There's somethin'.. Somethin' I got t' tell ya 'bout Jenny. See, we was comin' back from th' airport n' she told me some things.. says she loves you n' all but she.. she don't want t' be with you no more. Says it's too hard n' she's movin' t' California t' get a job as a model. That's why she called me up.. So ya wouldn't be alone after she left." A long silence met his confession, and he hesitantly lifted his eyes from his lap to look at Keith.

The other man was staring off into space, his jaw clenched tightly and his heart rate spiking as the words seemed to sink in. Ellis wasn't sure what to do, so he did what he knew best and talked some more.

"But I ain't leavin' ya Keith.. Yer my best friend n' that's how it's always gon' be. I'll move into yer apartment, get m'self a job n' start payin' off yer debt, okay? Then when ya get better ya won't have nothin' t' worry 'bout."

Keith's fists suddenly slammed down on his blanket covered legs, anger enveloping his once handsome face, "Don't ya get it Ellis? I _ain't_ gon' get better! I got fuckin' cancer n' those fancy doctors say I ain't gon' make it! They say I got 3 months, maybe 6 if I'm lucky, n' that's if I stay in the hospital! I'm gon' die.. Ain't nothin' you or anyone else ken do t' save me. Don't even know if I want t' be saved now."

"Don't you be sayin' that Keith.. I know ya don't mean it.." Ellis' voice sounded weak even to his own ears, that annoying beeping sound growing louder and faster, echoing in his ears. The door to Keith's room suddenly burst open, two male nurses coming in as well as a female doctor with a serious expression on her face. The two men moved to calm Keith down and the woman, a tall brunette clad in a brown skirt, white blouse, and lab coat, beckoned Ellis out into the hallway.

"Who are you?" She demanded as soon as the door was shut, Keith's cries of rage and sorrow now muffled by wood. Ellis removed his hat in the presence of such an important female, his eyes apologetic and his posture radiating shame, "Do you know how much damage you may have caused? That young man in there is under a lot of stress right now, and very, very sick; we don't need people making him worse!"

"I'm sorry ma'am.. I'm Ellis, Keith's best friend. Jenny, his gi- .. _ex_-girlfriend, called me up an' told me he had cancer an' needed my help. So I came on up. We ain't talked in a couple-a months.. It's been rough, seein' him like this, y'know? All sick n' weak.. Didn't mean t' upset him or nothin'.." The woman's eyes softened considerable as she sighed, rubbing her temples roughly.

"I understand that Mr..? Well never mind, the point is while I know this is hard for you I can't afford for you to worse his condition by upsetting him. We already all feel helpless here, since we can't do much for him. I'm sure he informed you of his financial status and lack of health insurance? Yes? Well technically and legally he shouldn't be here, but we're not heartless. However we're going to have to discharge him within the week.. Will you be his caretaker or his girlfriend, Ms. Wright?" Ellis was struggling to absorb all he had just heard, numerous emotions swirling through him like a hurricane. The most prominent one, of course, was anger.

"Ya mean yer just gon' dump him out on his ass? Let 'im die quicker? 'Course Imma take care of 'im but Jesus Christ in a hand basket! What kinda place is this?!" Hell, Ellis quickly decided. This place was pure Hell, where no one cared about one another and it was all just about money. He truly felt ill at that moment, the airplane peanuts churning wildly in his stomach, "I think Imma be sick."

For the second time in his life, Ellis vomited on a medical figure, and this time he didn't feel sorry about it at all.

* * *

The apartment was eerily quiet, cold even (probably because the heating bill had yet to be paid) and devoid of anything feminine. Jenny truly had left. Ellis sunk into a plush brown recliner in the small living room of the apartment, holding his head in his hands. After he'd thrown up on the doctor he'd been forced to leave, and had to take a taxi back to the apartment. How he remembered the address was beyond him, and he was lucky he had enough for the taxi fare. He now only had about ten dollars in his raggedy wallet, much to his chagrin.

It all seemed so hopeless now.. He'd planned on coming to Keith's rescue, meeting his girlfriend, and the three of them would go out to eat and reconnect. But there was no way to save Keith (who wasn't even Keith anymore, really) and his girlfriend had left. Ellis had half a mind to give up, lifting his head from his hands to rub at his wet eyes. Crying was for sissies and girls, and he was neither.

He paused in his eye drying, staring at a picture frame located on the coffee table directly in front of him. A shaky hand reached out to grab said object, holding it tightly. It was a picture of him and Keith, sitting on Ellis' old pick-up truck that they'd fixed together one summer. Someone had said it was a lost cause, but they didn't know the powers of Keith and Ellis! In the photo Ellis had one arm slung around Keith's shoulders, grinning at the camera like a fool, while Keith was looking at him, a matching grin on his face. A small smile crossed the young mechanic's face as he simply stared at the photo, recalling that day and how proud he had been when that truck finally started for them.

It'd taken them weeks to get it done, and they'd almost given up- well, Ellis had anyway, but Keith had kept pushing him and pushing him. Keith would never let him give up. And he wouldn't want him to now. With a newfound determination in his eyes, Ellis practically leapt up from the chair, still clutching the picture in his hand as he raced into the tiny kitchen.

He going to find that yellow book, look up mechanic places, and get himself a job! He'd triumph this time too, he knew he would!

Or, he hoped.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I don't know shit about how insurance or hospitals work. But in MY story, you don't have the money or the insurance, you don't get treated. It's for the plot, you'll thank me for being inaccurate later. Or not, I don't know. So yeah I couldn't keep Ellis all depressed, it's not his nature!

Next chapter our dear mechanic meets.... -drum roll- Rochelle! And has a tough decision to make. I'll start it now hurr.


	3. A Job Proposal

**'Patch Me Up'**

**A Left 4 Dead 2 Fanfic**

**Summary:** Keith has cancer. Ellis needs money for his treatment. How is this man in a white suit going to help him? And what's a 'pimp'? -Nick/Ellis- -AU-

**Warnings: **Somewhat 'cracky,' Alternate Universe (no zombies, sorry guys), man on man relations aka yaoi, slash, gayness, POSSIBLE CHARACTER DEATH, brief mentions of OCs

**Disclaimer:** Left 4 Dead 2 does not belong to me. I'm not making money off this crappy story**.**

**Author's Note:** Hum ho, sorry this took so long. I had like.. a huge chunk of it done and then I was super busy and had no time to finish it. But here it is now! Better late than never. I was actually thinking of updating all of my fanfics. Which should be interesting and time consuming. Yaaay! Um so yes, we meet Miss Rochelle and Coach in this chapter. Hope you like eet~

* * *

He didn't remember falling asleep, but apparently he had at some point, eyes opening quite suddenly as his internal alarm clock went off. He pulled his head off the kitchen table, grimacing at the pool of saliva he'd been resting in before wiping the excess spit off his face. Ellis had spent a good chunk of his night flipping through the Yellow Pages, searching through the ads and calling up any place that involved cars.

Unfortunately without a resume and any references, no one was interested in what he had to offer. His Southern accent seemed to be a turn off as well, though he had received quite a few guffaws whenever he started talking. There were only a few more places left, he noticed sadly, rubbing the excess sleep out of his eyes.

Ellis' stomach gave a loud rumble, letting him know that his job searching would have to be postponed until he was fed. Wearily he rose from the rickety chair he'd been seated in, prowling through the cupboards only to find a can of cranberry sauce that had long since expired. Well he shouldn't have been surprised, right? After all, Keith had no money and probably hadn't been home for a while..

Guess he'd have to go out to get something then.

A sniff to his armpit told him he needed a shower and he proceeded to search for the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later he was squeaky clean and ready to go, dressed in his usual overalls and his 'Bull-Shifters' shirt once more. He needed all the luck he could get at the moment. He grabbed the spare key that Jenny had left under the mat outside the apartment door earlier, sticking it in his pocket as he exited the building, walking down the street.

It was surprisingly crowded in the streets, the sounds of engines revving and horns blaring doing little to alleviate Ellis' growing headache. He found that the further downtown he went, the quieter it seemed to be. But the buildings seemed to get shabbier and shabbier, with more 'sketchy' people wandering the streets and giving him funny looks. He finally stopped in front of a sad looking convenience store, taking in the chipping paint and the graffitied walls. His eyes absolutely lit up as he saw the 'Help Wanted' sign crammed in the door window, practically staring him in the face, like a gift from God. He could work in a place like this, right? All you had to do was take money, count change, and bag stuff, right?

With an air of confidence he thought had left him, the country boy strolled into the store, offering the clerk working the counter a 50-watt smile. The man behind it stared back before returning Ellis' kind gesture with his middle finger, looking back down at his dirty magazine. Well, that hadn't worked out like he wanted.. Ellis was a bit put out, but he figured the man was just sensitive to strangers grinning at him like they knew him.

People just weren't as friendly as they were back home.. The mechanic picked through the snacks, chewing on his bottom lip as he searched for something filling to eat for breakfast. He finally settled on a box of pancake mix, figuring he could cook some up when he returned home. But then he remembered he'd need eggs and the works, and sighed before putting the box back on the shelf. That would use up at least half of his remaining ten dollars.

So, he ended up choosing a box of Twinkies (apparently they were the one food that would never go stale) carrying his cheap purchase up to the cashier. The man didn't even look up as he rang up the lone item, holding his hand out for the money, which Ellis reluctantly gave him. The least he could do was make eye contact!

"So uh.. Saw ya have a help wanted sign up! I've never worked in no convenience store before, but I figure it can't be all that hard, right?" He took his change and stuffed it into his pocket, expecting the man to look overjoyed that someone wanted to fill the empty job position. But no, he still didn't look up, and once he figured out Ellis wasn't going to leave, he finally let out a grunt and started talking.

"That sign's been up for the past two years. Owner's never bothered to take the damn thing down. We don't have any job openings. Now unless you're gonna buy something else, beat it." Ellis looked similar to a kicked puppy, bowing his head and taking his bag as he left. He stared forlornly at that sign, the sign that had given him hope only to crush it, until he felt eyes on him.

Curiously he turned to face a young black woman, who was studying him with slightly narrowed brown eyes, one hand on her jean clad hips. She was pretty, at least to Ellis, with a slender form and black dreads tied up in a ponytail, large silver hoops in her ears. He was surprised he hadn't noticed her earlier, what with her hot pink t-shirt and all.

"Uh.. hello there miss." He wasn't sure what to say and he was starting to feel uncomfortable, shifting nervously from foot to foot. His voice seemed to draw her out of her thoughts, and a smile flashed across her face as she approached him, stopping about a foot away. She obviously checked him out, nodding her head in approval before reaching out and turning him around, giving a pinch to his ass.

"Hey now!" Ellis yelped, grabbing his rear and whipping around to look at the strange woman who had just molested him, "What the hell do ya think yer doin'?! I only jus' met ya! I don't even know yer name!"

"Rochelle." She shot back swiftly, pausing to run her hand over Ellis' tattoo, a slight frown on her face, "Hmm.. that may cause a few problems.." She murmured to herself, "But you're cute enough that he might not care.."

"What the hell are ya talkin' 'bout? There ain't nothin' wrong with my tattoo. Me n' Keith got matchin' ones. Didn't cry or nothin'!" Ellis smiled proudly, puffing out his chest and causing Rochelle to chuckle. She decided she really liked this boy, even if he sounded dumb as a stump. Some people found that Southern accent attractive, and that was all that mattered..

"Well sugar, I'm real glad to hear that. Now are you lookin' for a job? 'Cause honey, I think I've got the perfect one for you." The way the boy's face suddenly brightened told her that yes, he was looking for a job, and that he probably wasn't having much luck. No surprise there. She knew how prejudiced people in this city could be, especially towards those from the South.

"Really? Yer bein' serious? Not yankin' my chain? Man that'd be so great if I could get a job! See, m' friend Keith, he has cancer, an' I really need t' get some money so I can pay for his bills 'cause he's in debt n'-"

"Sweetie, now's not really the time. Now come on … What'd you say your name was, honey?"

"Well I didn't tell ya, but it's Ellis."

"Ellis. Well come on then Ellis, I've got someone I want you to meet."

He'd remembered what his Ma said about 'stranger danger' and shit, but this Rochelle lady seemed really nice and she was offering him an honest to God job! That's what he was looking for, right? Then again, something about their entire encounter didn't sit well with him, and as they moved towards the car Rochelle was motioning to, he felt more and more uncomfortable.

"Say Rochelle, what kinda job is this exactly?" They had reached the car, and now he was stalling, watching the woman walk around to the other side of the vehicle where the driver's seat was. She merely smiled and shook her head, slipping inside and starting up the engine, looking expectantly at him through the window. Ellis was at a loss now; should he go and possibly get a job, or stay on the safe side and just head back to the apartment?

There would be other opportunities for jobs, right? But what if there weren't? What if this was the one chance he got? He finally made up his mind, taking a deep breath and opening the car door, hoping he'd made the right choice. Rochelle didn't say anything, merely continued to smile to herself as she sped off, back in the direction of the nicer area of the city. Numerous times he tried to coax where they were going out of her, but she would shut him down politely, leaving him to sit in silent worry.

It was when the apartments started turning into extravagant condos that he really grew curious, craning his neck every which way to take it all in. Rochelle laughed quietly, shaking her head and marveling at how innocent the country boy was, knowing that he was perfect. A bit rough around the edges, but that was nothing a bit of training couldn't fix. She knew he'd take the 'job,' especially once he saw how much money her 'boss' was willing to pay. She didn't know much about cancer, but she did know it was expensive to treat.

"Alright boy, we're here." They'd pulled into a driveway through tall metal gates that opened by themselves, stopping right before a condominium that was practically as big as the hospital had been! At least, in Ellis' eyes. How could anyone live in such a big place? Dazedly he got out of the car, trying to take it all in as Rochelle took one of his rough hands and began leading him up the pathway towards the entrance.

"Ellis, sweetie? Could you do me a favor and shut your mouth? You're lookin' pretty unattractive with your jaw open and catchin' flies." He hadn't even noticed his mouth had dropped open in awe, and he quickly snapped it shut, suddenly feeling very nervous. What would the person who lived here think of him? Why would someone who lived in such a fancy place hire him for something? He couldn't do anything but fix cars, and he doubted there was anything wrong with the cars this person owned.. Hell, they probably could buy an entire mechanics' shop!

"Sorry Rochelle. I just.. ain't never seen anythin' like this before! Shoot, we had big ole plantations back in Savannah, but nothin' so fancy or new." Everything down South was years old, and only a few of the places had actually been restored so they looked somewhat nice. Even then they had their problems; infestation of vermin, no insulation, or rotting foundations were just a few, "Are ya sure I can get a job here?"

"Mmhmm. Sugar, you were made for this! Now come on, I know he's gonna love you." The inside of the condo was even more impressive, but Ellis didn't have time to study it as Rochelle dragged him towards the stairs with surprising strength. He was a good foot taller than her, and definitely had more muscle, yet here she was, somehow managing to tug him along. He still felt out of place, sure that he would be turned down as soon as this guy saw him.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, Ellis found himself in heaven. Everywhere he looked there were girls, and not just any girls, _hot_ girls, all dressed in skimpy clothes, just lounging around on a large leather couch. It took all his will power not to skip on over to them and snuggle himself in between them, his eyes full of longing. Rochelle rolled her own eyes, needing to use a bit more strength to pull the young man with her this time.

"Those aren't for you honey, unless you can pay, and I _know_ you can't.." He didn't quite comprehend her words, keeping his eyes trained on the busty women until they turned a corner and he could no longer see them. Ellis let out a sigh and turned his attention back to where they were going, seeing a large door up ahead, the only door in the entire hallway. It suddenly burst open and a black man dressed in a purple t-shirt with tan slacks came barging out, his round, somewhat aged face agitated.

"Damn boy don't listen to a word I say! Ain't no point in even trying to talk to him!" He was growling to himself, his deep voice hinting that he may come from the South as well. Ellis instantly felt a connection to the older man, who finally noticed that he and Rochelle were there, stopping before them. "Well Ro', I've finally had it. I ain't takin' that boy's shit no more! I'm quitting!" The female didn't seem put off, merely letting out an amused chuckle and shaking her head.

"Coach, how long you been sayin' that? A few years I think. You aren't goin' anywhere, and you know it. You got a soft spot for him now." The man, now dubbed Coach, let out a heavy sigh, rubbing at his shaved head tiredly as he admitted defeat. It wasn't the first time he'd threatened to leave his job, nor would it be the last. But like Rochelle said, he couldn't leave their 'boss.' He was part of their dysfunctional family now..

"Yeah, yeah. Don't you go rubbin' it in girl. But he does get on my nerves. I'm too old to deal with his shit." Coach grumbled, resting one hand on his sizeable stomach, his eyes suddenly shifting to Ellis. "Hold up Ro'.. Who is this? We don't need any more bouncers or nothin'." Ellis' face fell as the older man spoke, his hopes once more crashing down on him as he figured that he was out of the job, yet _again_. But Rochelle, who just seemed to be full of surprises, shook her head, and winked at Coach.

"I think it's 'bout time we use your little suggestion, don't you think? I'll talk to him.. Get him to see our way, alright? Ellis here can be the first! The guinea pig, so to speak." Coach's eyes widened as he realized what she was saying, a huge grin spreading across his face and a laugh escaping him.

"Girl I knew I could count on you! And here I was thinkin' you didn't like my idea. You found a good boy here, looks good, looks good. Bet he'll bring in plenty of money, if you can get ole grumpy in there to agree. If anyone can do it though, it's you." By now Ellis was thoroughly confused, unable to keep up with the exchange and what it meant. But the mentioning of money, and a lot of it, was all he really needed to convince himself that this was the right place for him.

"It's just my womanly charm." Once again Coach laughed, shaking his head at the girl who he almost considered a daughter, clapping her on the shoulder gently. "I'll see you later Coach. Don't get into too much trouble, alright?"

"Me get into trouble? Ain't gonna happen. Like I said, I'm too old for that. But I ain't too old to go spend some time with those fine females out there.." Both he and Ellis stared down the hallway, apparently thinking the exact same thing. Rochelle wasn't pleased, rolling her eyes for the umpteenth time that day and once more seizing Ellis' arm while waving good-bye to Coach.

"I swear, all the men here are crazy.." She muttered to herself, glad that she was female and thought about more than just sex, parties, and money. In fact, she was pretty sure without her this whole 'business' would fall apart. "Now Ellis, you listen to me real carefully now, alright? We're gonna go in and meet your new boss right now. You let me do all the talking; just stand next to me and look pretty, okay? And don't look so nervous Sweetie! You'll get this job for sure!"

Oh God he hoped so. But he still couldn't get those damn butterflies out of his stomach! He could only hope the man that Rochelle and Coach were talking about was nice and understanding.. And maybe he'd actually tell him what the hell his job _was_!

* * *

**Author's Note:** Oh Ellis, you don't want to know. ;D So next chapter, the man we've all been waiting for, FINALLY appears. AND HE NEEDS A PIMP NAME SOMEONE HELP ME OUT HERE. -dies-


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